My Friend Andy, a Gay Teacher

by Melissa Bollow Tempel

UPDATE:  A short time after I posted this at Huffington Post, I received a lengthy email from a teacher who was clearly upset about my message. He wrote: “As a high school history teacher from New York City, I have a different perspective on morality. I personally do not agree with same-sex marriage and I do not endorse homosexual conduct. Nor do I agree with the so-called ‘progressive’ and ‘enlightened’ views you are advocating. . . . You do not stand for common sense, reason, or logic.”

It’s sad to get a message like this, especially from a fellow teacher. It makes me even more passionate about our work on Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and SexualityDespite the progress that has been made in the past years, there is clearly more education that needs to happen. We want to give as much support as we can to teachers who will show compassion, foster understanding in our schools, and advocate for those who feel helpless or alone.

Share this message and our campaign with your friends, family, and, especially, teachers you know.

We can help the children of today—the adults of tomorrow—act with love and compassion toward people who are different, rather than with fear and hatred.

Thank you for your support!

Melissa Bollow Tempel, editor
Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Here’s the original post:

MBTheadshotA few years ago, I worked with a teacher that changed my view of not only teaching, but the world. Andy and I co-taught literacy at a school in the city. Every morning Andy would join us with a smile on his face and we would greet the students. He had an eternally cheerful disposition and genuine care for children. Andy and his partner, Mark, cared for foster children. One Monday morning, before the students arrived, Andy and I were chatting about what we we did over the weekend. Andy told me about how he had spent the weekend on his organic farm with Mark and dog, picking pumpkins and preparing the garden for winter.

“You’re so lucky,” Andy said, “you can tell the students what you did with your family over the weekend.” It took me a moment to understand that Andy was talking about having to stay in the closet at work, and then I felt terrible. I felt for Andy, and I felt even worse for all the students who would miss out on the opportunity to learn about organic farming experiences and the rest of Andy’s charmed life. He also wasn’t able to teach the students to build an understanding and care for equity and rights of LGBTQ people.

Read the rest of this post at HuffingtonPost Gay Voices

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